Product review: BESTEK® Wall charging station power strip

I rate this charger as OK. This model addressed some of the issues of the original model (for example, there is no brightly lit logo on the front) but there are couple of things that prevent me from loving it.

1. This charger combines USB port and AC ports, however it has a cover which covers USB ports. When the cover is opened it make a bulky unit even more bulky because it extends out more than an inch. I did not like that it took extra room. However, the good news is that it can be removed - if you flex the plastic the cover pops out.

2. This wall charger has a dock which is compatible with the older (pre-iPhone 5) models of the iPhone. This is a bit dated now plus the dock is not compatible with any Android phone. It would have been better if this dock was just another USB outlet.

3. The unit overall is quite bulky:
Wall charger size: 4.25"W x 6"H x 1.5"H
Wall charger weight: 11.55 oz

4. I measured charging performance with a current monitor and the charging for Android devices is at USB level not AC level. This is disappointing and below average compared to other wall chargers. The performance for my iPadMini was OK (average). I am including details below for those who are interested in the specific numbers.

The outlets are spaced close together so the first two can only take regular plugs, however the bottom plug on each side allowed to plug in two fairly large plugs - my vaccum cleaner plug is shown in the video.

I dislike chargers that have bright charging indicators, I am happy to report that this wall station does not. I read that the older versions of this charger had a brightly glowing logo - the logo does not have any light at all now. I included a photo of the charger in the dark. The station does have a light which can be turned on my pushing a button. If the station is plugged into a wall, the light shines down and does not provide too much light. It could work as a night light but you need to turn it on my hand (it is not photo sensitive). I am not finding the light useful but it is not a negative since I can control whether it is on or off.

Charging test results:

There are two 1A port and two 2.1A ports. I measured their performance with a current monitor and found them a bit disappointing, they did not provide optimal charging power like some of the better USB chargers.

Nexus Phone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Port 1: 0.53A / 4.99V (USB rate)
Port 2: 0.56A / 4.98V (USB rate)
Port 3: 0.68A / 4.99V (USB rate)
Port 4: 0.69A / 5.00V (USB rate)
(for comparison the best charging monitor result for this phone is 1.00A/5V)

iPad Mini Tablet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Port 1: 0.64A / 4.99V
Port 2: 0.73A / 4.98V
Port 3: 1.30A / 5.01V
Port 4: 1.26A / 5.02V
(for comparison the best charging monitor result for this tablet is 1.70A/5V)


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: GMYLE(R) 40W 8A 5 Port USB Desktop Power Charger

I really like this charger. It is quite compact for being able to charge 5 things at the same time. We own a number of mobile devices from different manufactures, we have Android devices, Apple devices, Samsung devices. Google (starting with Jelly Bean 4.21) figured out the Apple protocol and starting with that release is able to draw the optimal charge on ports designed for Apple. My Nexus devices work well on different ports for most chargers, but the same is not true for my Apple devices and my older Samsung Tablet.

And now we see that some of the better chargers are beginning to add intelligent technology to the chargers so can figure out the optimal protocol to use for each device on any port. This GMYLE wall charger is one of this new breed.

I tested this wall charger using a current monitor with my Android phone and iPad Mini. I ran my tests with each devices on every port while it was the only one charging, as well while the charger was charging three tablets and two phones. The charger provided optimal charging on every port on every test. Impressive! I am including details below for those who like to see the technical details.

➨ Test results
======================
--------------------------
✔ Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone (the only device charging)
--------------------------
Port 1: 1.04A/5.15V
Port 2: 1.03A/5.14V
Port 3: 1.03A/5.14V
Port 4: 1.04A/5.14V
Port 5: 1.04A/5.14V

--------------------------
✔ Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone (with 6 other devices charging)
--------------------------
1.02A/5.15V
--------------------------
✔ iPad Mini (the only device charging)
--------------------------
Port 1: 1.64A/5.05V
Port 2: 1.61A/5.05V
Port 3: 1.51A/5.05V
Port 4: 1.59A/5.05V
Port 5: 1.56A/5.05V

--------------------------
✔ iPad Mini (with 6 other devices charging)
--------------------------
1.55A/5.15V
--------------------------

To summarize this charger did well charging my 5 devices at the same time as well as one at a time. The charger is compact in size and takes up only one spot on the power strip.
size: 3.5" x 2.25" x 1"
weight: 5.70 oz
AC cord length: 59"

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Link Laces No Tie Shoelaces - Elastic Shoe Laces

This my second set if shoelaces of this type. Turns out I like these better for two reasons.

(1) The opening through which one needs to thread the shoe laces opens wider on Link Laces and it took me no time to thread them through. In addition the tips of the shoelaces are stuff, so it easy to make them go through the hole. Because the threading mechanism is easy to work with you can reposition the round lock easily - how tight it is or which direction it faces (this is not the case with my old shoe laces).

(2) The second locking mechanism that holds the tips is small and it looks better and less noticeable. Note the tips lock is permanent, once you close it you cannot open it again. I wanted to make the tips shorter but turns out it was not possible. So to shorten the tips I just tied a knot to prevent the tips from hanging down (see video).

This shoe laces work well for anyone who has trouble bending or does not want to spend time lacing the shoes/sneakers/hiking boots. Before my bike accident that resulted in a back surgery that made less flexible my favorite footwear was hiking boots even when I was not hiking. Since my back surgeries I rarely wear my hiking boots because tying the shoe laces puts my back in a position that is not comfortable. With elastic shoe lace system I am back to wearing my hiking boots and other shoes that lace up. Elastic shoe laces stretch and allow me to just slip into the boots/shoes.

The laces do not hold my foot in the shoe as tightly as regular laces because they stretch. They are perfectly fine for walking around on flat surface. If I was hiking the boots would be too loose for me on uneven rocky surface. However, the target audience for this shoe laces is unlikely to need the type of lacing you would want while climbing a mountain so I don't think this is a problem.

To lace up the shoes for the first time:
♦ First you lace the boot with the elastic shoe laces like you would normally do
♦ Then you need to thread both ends through the round lock
♦ Next step is to tighten the laces to your liking and cut the laces 3" from the lock
♦ Finally, put the ends into the tips lock and close it. This lock cannot be opened, so be sure that the ends are not too long.

These shoe laces let me wear lace-up shoes again without hurting my back, so I am very pleased.

You can find them on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: BESTEK® 4 Groups Timer

Update 12/30/14.
I had to come back and update this review. The timer exhausted the new batteries in about 16 days with very light use. I used this timer 5 times in addition to demonstrating how it works in the video. If I have to replace the battery every two weeks this is going to be one expensive timer! I have to downgrade this review from 4 stars to 2 stars. Now that I discovered this flaw I need to remove the batteries after each use - there is no off switch.

Original review:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a very handy timer if you need to time multiple things at the same time. This timer is quite compact: it is 5" x 3.5" in size. The left hand side has a display for 4 timers, the right hand side is a writing area where you can make a note of what each timer is timing. The package includes a white board pen with an eraser. And the white board pen does not stink! A big plus in my book.

4 buttons control this timer. The "event" button lets you select which timer you are using, "HR" button sets the number of hours, "MIN" buttons selects the number of minutes. If you select hour, then the timer shows hours and minutes. If you select minutes, then the timer shows minutes and seconds. "st/sp" button lets you start and stop the timer.

The only thing I don't like is that there is no "clear" button. So unless I manually use HR and MIN buttons to set values to zero there is no way to remove the values. The only way I can tell that the alarm is inactive is by looking ":" which is either blinking or not. If you are timing in minutes and seconds it is easier because you see seconds either changing or not.

When the timer expires it begins counting up. I find this very helpful because if I miss the alarm it tells me how much time has passed since the alarm time. Very handy!

The timer runs on two AAA batteries which are not included.

In addition to not being able to clear the values, I have one more small quip. The magnets on the back of the timer are not strong strong enough to hold the unit on my refrigerator. The timer slowly slides down. They must have tested it without batteries! This is not a deal breaker for me but worth mentioning.

This timer is provided by Bestek.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Renergy®All in One 5200mAH Portable External Battery Charger

This power bank can be used an AC wall charger as well as an external battery. It can charge mobile devices while external battery is being charged itself. On a standard power strip this charger takes up 3 slots unless you plug it in one of the end outlets. The battery has retractable prongs and the package includes a travel pouch.

The fact that it takes a lot of slots on a power strip is a problem for me as I am always short of space on my power strips and end outlets are in high demand as I have a lot of devices competing for those slots.

Dimensions:
Weight: 6.25 oz
Size: 3 3/8"L x 2 5/8"W x 7/8"

To see how well different chargers and external batteries charge my mobile devices I use a Nexus phone and an iPad Mini to test each of them. I do my tests with the devices charged to the same level, running the same applications and using the same cables to keep everything the same. This allows me to compare them to each other in a fair way. I use the current monitor to see what current is delivered to each device which tells me how well each battery/charger is working. I ran these test with this wall charger plugged in as well as disconnected from AC. In these tests Renergy did very well for iPad Mini on 2.1A port, but not as well as other wall chargers for my Android phone. I am including the numbers below for those are interested in the nitty gritty details.

Nexus phone:
------------------
Port 1A (plugged into AC)__________ 0.75A /4.99V (below average)
Port 1A (disconnected from AC)_____ 0.75A /5.01V (below average)
Port 2.1A (plugged into AC)________ 0.80A /4.99V (below average)
Port 2.1A (disconnected from AC)___ 0.77A /4.98V (below average)
(for comparison the best charging monitor result for this phone is 1.00A/5V)

iPad Mini Tablet:
------------------
Port 1A (plugged into AC)__________ 0.93A /5.01V (average for 1A port)
Port 1A (disconnected from AC)_____ 0.93A /4.99V (average for 1A port)
Port 2.1A (plugged into AC)________ 1.61A /4.99V (excellent)
Port 2.1A (disconnected from AC)___ 1.48A /5.01V (excellent)
(for comparison the best charging monitor result for this tablet is 1.70A/5V)

So, what's the bottom line? I own both Android and Apple devices so I prefer smart chargers that have a chip that changes the charging protocol based on the device the charger is charging. This adaptable logic allows smart chargers to charge each device equally well on each port. However, for folks who only need to charge Apple devices this charger did quite well.



Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Wool Dryer Balls

This is a set of 6 wool balls, each one is 3" across. They come in a cloth storage bag, which is where I keep them when they are not in use. The balls are made out of (mostly) white wool. They had a bit of an odd scent when they first arrived, but the scent dissipated after the first dryer run.

The balls jump around in the dryer and mix up and fluff up the items as they dry. The towels and clothing definitely comes out softer. I like them better the fabric softener because many fabric softeners have a scent and I prefer a natural clean smell without the fragrance. I use all 6 balls for a large load and fewer for a smaller load.

According to the description the balls also supposed to reduces laundry drying time by mixing up the fabric. I always dry my laundry with an automatic sensor. Comparing two similar loads the load with the balls was done about 5 minutes faster: 50 minutes vs 55 minutes. Not a huge difference.

The balls do make a bit of a banging noise as they jump around but it is not bad. I captured a short clip of the noise as the balls do their thing in the attached video.

These wool balls are provided Je T'aime Baby. I like them!


You can find these balls on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: JENNIELIU Women's 80" X 28" Tissue Wight Wool Cashmere Wrap

It is made out of very fine (i.e. fairly thin) wool and cashmere: 70% wool and 30% cashmere. The material is light and soft. It feels softer than 100% wool, but not as soft and fuzzy as pure cashmere. Due its size and weight I would describe it as a shawl. It has a look and a feel of a top quality product.

I got the "Purple" version of this scarf. I would describe this shade of purple is "plum". Beautiful!

The shawl is 81" long (not counting the fringe) and 28" wide. The fringe is slightly over 4".

It feels very nice around my neck, it drapes well. The fringe on this shawl is very attractive, it is tightly wound and has a "crisp" look. My video includes some close ups to give you a better idea of what it looks like in person.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★